Twiggs, DAVID
EMANUEL, military officer; born in Richmond county, Ga., in
1790; entered the United States military service as captain in the
spring of 1812, and became major of infantry in 1814. In 1836 he became
colonel of dragoons, and as commander of a brigade he distinguished
himself in the battles of PALO ALTO
and RESACA DE LA PALMA. He was made
brigadier-general June 30, 1846, and was brevetted major-general for
gallantry at MONTEREY. Twiggs
commanded a division in Scott's
campaign in Mexico in 1847, and in 1848 be was made civil and military
governor of Vera Cruz. Early in 1861
he was in command of United States troops in
Texas.

General Twiggs had served his country honorably in its armies for forty
years, but the virus which corrupted so many noble characters did not
spare him.

General David Twiggs

He was a native of Georgia, and seems to have been under the complete
control of the Confederate leaders. He was placed in command of the
Department of Texas only a few weeks before the act about to be
recorded. A State convention in Texas appointed a committee of safety,
who sent two of their number (Devine and Maverick) to treat with Twiggs
for the surrender of United States troops and property into the hands of
the Texas Confederates. Twiggs had already shown signs of disloyalty.
These had been reported to the War Department, when Secretary Holt, in a
general order (Jan. 18), relieved him from the command in Texas, and
gave it to Col. Charles A. Waite. When Devine and Maverick heard of the
arrival of the order in
San Antonio, they took measures to prevent its reaching Colonel
Waite, who was 60 miles distant; but the vigilant Colonel Nichols, who
had watched the movements of the general with the keen eye of suspicion,
foiled them. He duplicated the orders, and sent two couriers with them,
by different routes. One of them reached Waite Feb. 17; but the dreaded
mischief had been accomplished. Twiggs had been cautious. He did not
commit himself in writing; he always said, " I will give up everything."
He was now allowed to temporize no longer. He had to find an excuse for
surrendering his troops, consisting of two skeleton corps. It was
readily found.
Ben McCulloch, the famous Texan ranger, was not far off with 1,000
men. He approached San Antonio at 2 A.M. on Feb. 10. He had been joined
by armed KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN
CIRCLE near the town. With a considerable body of followers, he
rushed into the town with yells and took possession.

Twigg's Surrender to Ben
McCulloch at the San Antonio Plaze

Twiggs pretending
to be surprised, met McCulloch in the
San Antonio Plaza, and there, at noon,
Feb. 16, a negotiation for surrender (begun by the commissioners as
early as the 7th) was consummated. He gave up to the Confederate
authorities of Texas all the National forces in that State, about 2,500
in number, and with them all the stores and munitions of war, valued, at
their cost, at $1,200,000. He surrendered all the forts in his
department. By this act Twiggs deprived the government of the most
effective portion of the regular army. When the government heard of it,
an order was issued (March 1) for his dismissal " from the army of the
United States for treachery to the flag of his country." Twiggs
threatened, in a letter to the ex-President, to visit Buchanan in
person, to call him to account for officially calling him a " traitor."
The betrayed troops, who, with most of their officers, remained loyal,
were allowed to leave Texas, and went to the North, taking quarters in
Fort Hamilton, at the entrance to New York Harbor.

General Twiggs was then given an important position in the Confederate
army, and was for a short time in command at
New Orleans, resigning
towards the close of 1861. He died in Augusta, Ga., Sept. 15, 1862.